How To Fix Nagging Shoulder Pain

Is lingering shoulder pain inhibiting you from your daily activities or performing at a high level? Ever get a shoulder stinger while playing football or goofing around as a youngster? It is likely that you caused damaged to surrounding ligaments or labrum of the shoulder. When that happens, even endless hours of physical therapy and icing the shoulder can’t make the pain go away completely. What can you do? It’s time to learn a little more about PRP regenerative injections!

Why do I still have shoulder pain?

Shoulder pain is caused by connective tissue or surrounding musculature that is injured during an abnormal movement. The muscles or tendons that are usually involved are the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, or teres minor (rotator cuff muscles). The dysfunction of these muscles causes a downstream effect by inhibiting certain muscles or over-activation. The most common injury in the shoulder joint is to the supraspinatus – inhibiting shoulder flexion & abduction, as well as internal rotation (lifting the arm to pick up an item).

Shoulder pain is quite common because the dynamic function of our shoulder puts heavy strain on the surrounding muscles and connective tissues. PRP may have significant benefits for many shoulder injuries. It is suggested to consult with a specially trained PRP practitioner before shoulder replacement surgery. Shoulder replacement surgeries often cost thousands of dollars and recovery times are substantial.

The body is a patch and repair system – if an effected joint/structure is injured the bodies secretes calcium to mend and heal the structure (connective tissue, ligament, tendon, muscle, etc). This leaves the body with bone spurs, calcified connective tissues, and a consistent dull achy pain. Alternative treatments may provide temporary relief such as chiropractic adjustments, physical therapy, topical creams, homeopathics, cold laser, ultrasound, and E-stem… the list goes on and on. These therapies may be beneficial to the joint and surrounding tissues but they do not physically heal and regrow the damaged tissue.

PRP regenerative injections are platelets and plasma extracted out of your own blood, activated, and injected back into the effected joint/connective tissues. The platelets contain stem cells and growth factors that will differentiate into a cartilage cell or connective tissue cell. This will allow the physical structure to heal properly and maintain its structural integrity. And the process of the needling technique also has the added benefit of stimulating the affected joint and structures.

PRP (non-surgical) regenerative injections are actually do the opposite of what you may think. The PRP causes an inflammation of the joint, rather than an anti-inflammatory effect most treatments like cortisone injections are intended to have. But while cortisone injections temporarily mask the pain, they are detrimental and degrading to the joint. Instead of masking the symptoms, the inflammatory effects of PRP bring increased growth factors, immune cells, and blood cells and genuinely improve the healing process.

PRP Regenerative Injections may be effective in treating these conditions

Rotator cuff tears

Frozen Shoulder (Adhensive capsulitis)

Chronic shoulder dislocations

Bicep tendinitis

Glenoid labral tear

Osteoarthitis (OA)

Tendinitis

Shoulder Impingement

Instability

What to expect

PRP regenerative injections may be a viable treatment option for shoulder pain and dysfunction caused by overuse or connective tissue/ligamentous damage. During the pain management consult – a thorough history will be taken, physical exam including orthopedic exams, muscle testing, and functional movement assessment. Benefits and risks of the procedure will be discussed, as well as at home instructions. Clinically, there has been a high success rate of moving patient’s out of pain, improving structure and function, and improving movement patterns. Average treatment length is approximately 3-5 treatments to see the best results with PRP regenerative injections.

“Spark Health has been an absolute lifesaver to me over this past year. I was initially treated for turf toe and both ankles for instability. After 1 PRP treatment, I was back in action and was able to return to teaching spinning class and snowboarding.”

“Through a sequence of unfortunate events, I ended up sustaining multiple injuries to my shoulder, low back, pelvis and hip. I saw 3 different physical therapists, a chiropractor, two orthopedic surgeons, a physical medicine doctor and an acupuncturist; all leaving me with no answers, increased pain and having spent thousands of dollars with no results, just worsening of symptoms. I have Ehlers-Danlos so for me surgery is never the best option nor does it target areas I need the most help with.”

“I am so grateful to the doctors at Spark for their global approach to getting me put back together. After just one PRP treatment to the pelvis and lower back, I had more than 70% improvement and will probably need only one other injection there. I am so appreciative for Spark’s pricing; most of the other clinics charge hundreds of dollars more per treatment.”

“Platelet Rich Plasma and Spark Health have been life-changing to me.”